Sparring - how to hit harder after getting hit.

[Ubiquitouso]

Thanks for all the advice guys, and yeah I definitely think that its a problem with my stance, my right foot tends to be almost directly behind my left front foot (i'm orthodox), and this means I can get knocked off balance really easily, I talked to a pro at the gym and he said I should widen my stance more.

Also I noticed that when I get hit I tend to tense up (especially if I block/parry the hit with my arms), so I need to learn how to relax a bit more.

So it sounds like everytime you get hit your moving and getting out of position. Do you do anything to build up your strength?

I have a pretty strong upper body, I've been told that I can hit pretty hard even when I'm not trying to... My biggest problem is my legs, I'm very unstable particularly on my back foot as I have a permanent broken bone on my right ankle, here's a pic



the break is where I've highlighted in red, its definitely not a bad break the only problem is that there is a ligament that connects directly on to that piece of bone that is broken and that ligament is the main ligament keeping the ankle steady.

I can almost guarantee that this is an issue with your stance. If your feet are in the correct position then you will be able to block, parry, slip and even get hit and still be able to throw back with full power.

It all comes from your feet and legs. If feet are planted and knees bent then you can throw with full power. If not, you won't be able to.

thanks for the advice, i'll definitely work on improving my stance

[McNulty]

Hey guys,

I've recently started sparring, and I have a huge problem when it comes to trying to hit my opponents after I get hit myself. Even if I just catch a hit on my gloves it completely throws me off balance

Practice parrying drills. Catch (or peck) and shoot is what you need. Start small with just jabs. A lot of trainers don't know about it so don't be surprised if your's doesn't.

Basically you need to train your body to respond and not your brain.

[OctoberRed]

Thanks for all the advice guys, and yeah I definitely think that its a problem with my stance, my right foot tends to be almost directly behind my left front foot (i'm orthodox), and this means I can get knocked off balance really easily, I talked to a pro at the gym and he said I should widen my stance more.

Also I noticed that when I get hit I tend to tense up (especially if I block/parry the hit with my arms), so I need to learn how to relax a bit more.



I have a pretty strong upper body, I've been told that I can hit pretty hard even when I'm not trying to... My biggest problem is my legs, I'm very unstable particularly on my back foot as I have a permanent broken bone on my right ankle, here's a pic



the break is where I've highlighted in red, its definitely not a bad break the only problem is that there is a ligament that connects directly on to that piece of bone that is broken and that ligament is the main ligament keeping the ankle steady.



thanks for the advice, i'll definitely work on improving my stance

So there is no way to get the break fixed?

[BennyST]

This problem will go away with experience. If you really want to knock a guy out just do this when you are throwing your right hand: simply squeeze your bum hole shut, ko's will naturally just follow. Air tight kind of squeeze your bung hole shut, they'll drop in front of you if you do this while you punch.

Ive found that leaving it loose as humanly possible also makes them drop in front of me.

[BennyST]

In all seriousness though, it sounds like a problem of your balance and footwork. Without that solid base, it makes it very difficult to come back with shots.

A good drill to do is to showdowbox and do your bag work with all of your combos coming off the combos of your imagined opponent, and obviously this would be in conjunction with working lots of footwork and balance drills. Defense, footwork and balance built in to every single thing/combo you work. Try to imagine the actual instances in sparring where you weren’t able to come back with something you tried and work those initially.

So you’re working reactive combos rather than just straight up offensive stuff. Constant transition from defense to offense, with the focus on your footwork to always be in position and in balance to throw.

Use a training partner to help simulate these in light sparring. Balance is the key to good boxing in every respect.

[Johnston]

Thanks for all the advice guys, and yeah I definitely think that its a problem with my stance, my right foot tends to be almost directly behind my left front foot (i'm orthodox), and this means I can get knocked off balance really easily, I talked to a pro at the gym and he said I should widen my stance more.

Also I noticed that when I get hit I tend to tense up (especially if I block/parry the hit with my arms), so I need to learn how to relax a bit more.



I have a pretty strong upper body, I've been told that I can hit pretty hard even when I'm not trying to... My biggest problem is my legs, I'm very unstable particularly on my back foot as I have a permanent broken bone on my right ankle, here's a pic



the break is where I've highlighted in red, its definitely not a bad break the only problem is that there is a ligament that connects directly on to that piece of bone that is broken and that ligament is the main ligament keeping the ankle steady.



thanks for the advice, i'll definitely work on improving my stance

Damn that's rough, is there anything you can do to fix it? Or possibly specific exercises that could help you gain strength in your ankles to compensate?

I believe widening your stance like you said will benefit you, I had a similar problem with my stance. The more you spar the more you will adapt,your body and mind will learn

[OctoberRed]

Damn that's rough, is there anything you can do to fix it? Or possibly specific exercises that could help you gain strength in your ankles to compensate?

I believe widening your stance like you said will benefit you, I had a similar problem with my stance. The more you spar the more you will adapt,your body and mind will learn

widening your stance will certainly help IMO.

[Ubiquitouso]

So there is no way to get the break fixed?

Nah I asked the doctor and she just recommended I see physio, hopefully that'll help a bit.

In all seriousness though, it sounds like a problem of your balance and footwork. Without that solid base, it makes it very difficult to come back with shots.

A good drill to do is to showdowbox and do your bag work with all of your combos coming off the combos of your imagined opponent, and obviously this would be in conjunction with working lots of footwork and balance drills. Defense, footwork and balance built in to every single thing/combo you work. Try to imagine the actual instances in sparring where you weren’t able to come back with something you tried and work those initially.

So you’re working reactive combos rather than just straight up offensive stuff. Constant transition from defense to offense, with the focus on your footwork to always be in position and in balance to throw.

Use a training partner to help simulate these in light sparring. Balance is the key to good boxing in every respect.

Yeah one of the more experienced guys at the gym helped me out a ton today, told me to "sit down" on my right hand, felt like I got a lot more power and had a lot more balance. Still finding it pretty hard to transition from hitting the bag to sparring, but I guess that'll improve with more practice.

I still need to work on my footwork, will probably take at least 3-4 months to start to feel more fluid. Today I decided to try focusing on my footwork when hitting the bag, and after 2 minutes my legs were dead and I could barely step in to throw a jab. So hopefully if I increase my footwork endurance I'll get naturally more fluid?

[NearHypnos]

Nah I asked the doctor and she just recommended I see physio, hopefully that'll help a bit.



Yeah one of the more experienced guys at the gym helped me out a ton today, told me to "sit down" on my right hand, felt like I got a lot more power and had a lot more balance. Still finding it pretty hard to transition from hitting the bag to sparring, but I guess that'll improve with more practice.

I still need to work on my footwork, will probably take at least 3-4 months to start to feel more fluid. Today I decided to try focusing on my footwork when hitting the bag, and after 2 minutes my legs were dead and I could barely step in to throw a jab. So hopefully if I increase my footwork endurance I'll get naturally more fluid?

3-4 months to be more fluid? If you’re a natural. I’d say twice that time is a realistic time to feel actual progress. Sure, you’ll see progress before but I think tangible progress just comes from putting in the time. Things will slow down a bit in sparring, etc the more you do it.

That’s good that you’re moving around when on the bag. Have someone stand behind the bag and hit you periodically with a shirt or towel or sock with a foamy stress ball or tennis ball if anything. It’ll help you with tensing up so much and help a bit on that end. Try to keep moving on the bag and keep that balance and stay calm throughout. You don’t have to throw 100% on the bag either (not saying you are). Like the other poster said, visualize it or work off someone assisting you like in my scenario. Dont just visualize the first movement, but what “comes back” in the exchange and how you’ll react to get away


Stay within yourself and work on that balance. There’s a difference between what you think you can do and what you can actually do with your feet in conjunction with the rest of your body.

Keep your hands up, stay short, and don’t get frustrated. It’ll take a while before your body even adjusts to the fitness aspect let alone the movements coming naturally.

[OctoberRed]

Nah I asked the doctor and she just recommended I see physio, hopefully that'll help a bit.

Have you set that up yet?